Top 7 Indian Sultans of Swing: Exponents of a Mysterious Craft

#3 Irfan Pathan

Touted to be the next Kapil Dev, Pathan has failed to live up to those hopes

Who can forget Irfan Pathan’s hat-trick against Pakistan in Karachi off the first three balls of the Test match which included wickets of Mohammed Yousuf and Younis Khan? Although it came in a losing cause, the talent of the man was obvious.

Irfan was an Indian legend in the making with his ability to swing the ball, his inquisitiveness to learn (he would always chase Wasim Akram for tips) and his batting talent.

But back injuries and loss of swing reduced him to the sidelines. Although age has still not run out for him, Irfan has a long road to make it back to the team. At his peak, he could deliver banana swingers from good-length into the right-handers which were virtually unplayable.

He also possessed a deadly yorker that swung in late, castling greats like Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist on one of India’s most successful tours down under. Pathan is 6th overall in terms of wickets amongst Indian pacers – 301 in total – with 173 in ODIs and 100 in Tests.

He holds the record for being the fastest Indian to 100 wickets in terms of matches – 59. That puts him at sixth overall in the world.